An Overview of the Process of Bhakti

An Overview of the Process of Bhakti

Part One: Srila Rupa Goswami's Analysis:

adau Sraddha tatah sadhu-

sango ’tha bhajana-kriya

tato ’nartha-nivrttih syat

tato nintha rucis tatah

athasaktis tato bhavas

tatah premabhyudancati

sadhakanam ayam premnah

pradurbhave bhavet kramah

“In the beginning one must have a preliminary desire for self-realization. This will bring one to the stage of trying to associate with persons who are spiritually elevated. In the next stage one becomes initiated by an elevated spiritual master, and under his instruction the neophyte devotee begins the process of devotional service. By execution of devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master, one becomes free from all material attachment, attains steadiness in self-realization, and acquires a taste for hearing about the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Sri Krnna. This taste leads one further forward to attachment for Krnna consciousness, which is matured in bhava, or the preliminary stage of transcendental love of God. Real love for God is called prema, the highest perfectional stage of life.” (From BG 4.10 ppt)

There are 9 stages:

1. Sraddha — faith

2. Sadhu-sanga — association with devotees

3. Bhajana-kriya — trying to seriously take up the process of devotional service

4. Anartha-nivrtti — becoming free of all unwanted things

5. Nistha — steadiness in Krsna consciousness

6. Ruci — a deep taste for Krsna consciousness

7. Asakti — attachment for Krsna

8. Bhava — ecstasy, the first rays of the sun of love for Krsna

9. Prema — pure love for Krsna

Part Two: From Material Life to Sraddha and Sadhu-Sanga:

1. Perhaps one gets bhakti because of one's previous piety?

2. Perhaps one gets bhakti by luck?

3. Perhaps one gets bhakti by Lord Krsna’s special mercy?

4. Perhaps one gets bhakti by the mercy of devotees?

Part Three: The Different Stages in Bhajana-kriya:

Utsahamayi: Just as a pupil entering school may think he has already become a great scholar worthy of everyone's praise, a person just beginning devotional service can display the audacity to think that he has mastered everything. He is called utsahamayi, or puffed-up with enthusiasm.

Ghana Tarala: A pupil may be diligently engaged in his studies and yet at other times, because of inability to understand the subject matter and because of lack of real taste, becomes totally negligent. In the same way, a new devotee sometimes practices the different activities of devotional service nicely and sometimes neglects them. Being somtimes assiduous and at other times negligent, his sporadic endeavour is called ghana tarala (condensed-dilute, thick-thin).

Vyudha Vikalpa: Extensive Speculation. "Shall I just be a householder happy in family life, making my wife and children Krsna conscious, and worshipping the Lord; or should I give all that up and go and sit in a place of meditation in Vrndavana and become a real success by engaging full-time in hearing and chanting with no distractions?

"Shall I wait until the last stage, after enjoying all sorts of pleasures, when I have understood that the whole material world is simply a forest fire of affliction, or should I renounce right now? Should I regard this family life as death, a deep well concealed by grass, and give up this unreliable "shelter" while young? Or shall I wait until the death of my old parents before renouncing?

"If I give up family life immaturely I will think of family life after renouncing. If I should die in that condition I will go to hell. From that type of renunciation I won't get any strength. Therefore for the time being, I will just work to keep my body alive, and later, after satisfying all my desires, I will enter Vrndavana and worship the Lord in full dedication.

"After all, renunciation is useless if one depends on it to produce bhakti. But then again, it is acceptable if one knows it is generated from bhakti and is dependent on bhakti.

"By sophism, one may justify immediate renunciation of householder life, in the confidence that there will be no worry for food since it is well known that the sadhus in the asramas eat plentifully."

Thus the neophyte sometimes contemplates a life of renunciation. But at other times, applying the maxim that household life is distressful only for those who are attached, he favors household life, being supremely aloof.

"Shall I engage in chanting or perhaps in hearing, or shall I engage in service? Let me rather engage in many angas of bhakti like Amarisa Maharaja."

When one speculates on all types of options in devotional service without deciding anything, it is called vyudha vikalpa, or extensive speculation.

Visaya Sangara: Struggle with maya. The devotee, knowing he cannot attain steadiness in serving Krsna while attached to material enjoyment, resolves to renounce his addictions. But while attempting to renounce, he may end up indulging in it, taking solace from the example of a devotee given in the Bhagavatam:

jata-Sraddho mat-kathasu

nirvinnah sarva-karmasu

veda duhkhatmakan kaman

parityage ’py aniSvarah

tato bhajeta mam pritah

sraddhalur drdha-niscayah

jusamanas ca tan kaman

duhkhodarkams ca garhayan

"Having awakened faith in the narrations of My glories, being disgusted with all material activities, knowing that all sense gratification leads to misery, but still being unable to renounce all sense enjoyment, My devotee should remain happy and worship Me with great faith and conviction. Even though he is sometimes engaged in sense enjoyment, My devotee knows that all sense gratification leads to a miserable result, and he sincerely repents such activities." (SB 11.20.27-28)

This on-going battle with his previously acquired desires for sense pleasure, in which he is sometimes victorious and sometimes defeated, is called visaya sangara or "war with sense pleasure."

Niyama Aksama: The devotee may then resolve: "From today I will chant such and

such number of rounds of japa. I will pay so many obeisances. And I will render services to the devotees. I will not talk on any subject except the Lord and I will give up all association with people who talk on material matters." Though he makes such resolutions every day, he is always unable to execute them.

This is called niyama aksama or inability to follow rules. Visaya sangara is the inability to give up materialactivities whereas niyama aksama is the inability to improve his devotional activities.

Taranga Rangini. It is well known that people become attracted to a person possessing bhakti, due to bhakti's auspiciousness. And as the popular saying goes, "By attracting the populace, one becomes wealthy." Bhakti produces much opportunity for material gain, worship and position. These are weeds around the creeper of bhakti.

Engaging oneself in pleasure-seeking (ranga) amidst these weed-like facilities, which are but small waves (taranga) in the ocean of bhakti, is called taranga rangini, delighting in material opportunities.